Source: Julie Bird, FierceHealthcare
U.S. hospitals, which emit 8 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gases each year, need to do more to address climate change, according to a Health Affairs blog post. Reducing hospitals’ collective environmental footprint could save an estimated $15 billion over the next 10 years.
Lloyd Dean, President & CEO of San Francisco-based Dignity Health, recommends that hospitals employ the following practices in order to reduce their environmental footprint:
- Making environmentally preferred purchases
- Using safer chemicals
- Launching green building and resiliency initiatives
- Consuming less energy, water and raw materials
- Recycling
- Transitioning to renewable energy sources